The present invention relates to a room delimiting means composed of prefabricated elements, such as outer walls, partitions and story terminating means or the like and to a method for erecting same.
In the last few years construction and building technology has seen a development, in which by making erection as rational and rapid as possible the time needed, and the costs involved, for the completion of buildings may be reduced as much as possible. In order to achieve this aim reliance is being placed to an increasing extent on prefabricated components, that is to say parts of buildings are being produced off site and then fitted together and installed later. One example for such prefabricated parts is prefabricated wall elements, which are employed more particularly for the erection of load-free partitions in semi-finished buildings or for later installation in rooms which have already been produced, as for example in open-plan offices, apartments to be modernized and the like. One example for this is to be found in the German patent publication 19,611,388 A1, which describes a prefabricated wall element with integrated conduit passages.
In order to attain an advantage as regards time and costs when building using prefabricated parts it is on the one hand possible to improve the manufacture and design of the prefabricated element themselves. On the other hand a decisive point as regards assembly on the building site is that the prefabricated elements are able to be simply, reliably and rapidly mounted.
One object of the present invention is the production of room delimiting means such as outer walls, partitions, story delimit means, roof elements and the like, which render possible rapid, precise and economic assembly in position, with, more particularly, the advantages of prefabricated wall systems, for the production of outer walls and, respectively, story delimiting means. More especially it is intended to make available a multiplicity of different variations in outer walls, partitions, story delimiting means with more particularly pre-installed installation and/or heating and services and supply conduits in the simple manner, which has been noted.
This aim is to be achieved by the characterizing features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.
In the case of the method of the invention for the erection of outer walls, partitions, roof elements or delimiting means for stories or, respectively, of the room delimiting means produced therewith modular prefabricated elements are employed, which comprise a monolithic core element or a core element in the form of a composite element and at least one surface element. Preferably transversely and longitudinally extending or horizontally and vertically extending means are provided in the conduit means in the form of channels. More especially prefabricated elements are employed in the case of which the conduit means are present in the form of outwardly open channels on both terminal sides constituting the principal faces. Such a modular prefabricated element is described in the said German patent publication 19,611,388 A1.
For connection of the prefabricated elements together and with the wall, ceiling or floor of a room or, respectively, for stiffening the modular prefabricated elements and connecting stiffening elements are provided, which are fitted in recesses or intermediate spaces in the prefabricated elements. In the case of the recesses it is preferably a question of grooves or groove and tongue joints between the prefabricated elements. As an alternative or in a complementary manner it is possible for the stiffening and connecting elements also to be fitted in intermediate spaces in the prefabricated elements, which are either already provided for them in the prefabricated elements or are fitted in the prefabricated elements when the connection is produced. The important point is that the stiffening and connecting elements on the one hand jointly act to provide for stiffening of the prefabricated elements and on the other hand to ensure a connection of the prefabricated elements with one another or with the walls or floor/ceiling of the room so that it is possible to dispense with additional components, something which leads to savings in time and money. It is more especially an advantage with the present invention that as far as possible only one or at the most merely a few stiffening and connecting elements are provided for different stiffening and connecting purposes univesally. This leads to the advantage that on the building site only a few different components must be stocked and accordingly stockholding costs are reduced and furthermore the expense of stocking and ordering different parts may be cut down.
The stiffening and connecting elements are, in the present invention, at least partly attached by fastening elements to the prefabricated elements or to the wall, ceiling or, respectively, floor of the room or, respectively, both to the prefabricated elements and also the wall, ceiling or, respectively, floor in order to so to ensure reliable fastening of the room delimiting means to ther wall, ceiling or, respectively, floor or to ensure the connection of the prefabricated elements. This ensures a safe and strong design of the room dividing means composed of the prefabricated elements.
For the room delimiting means in accordance with the invention or, respectively, the method for the erection thereof it is particularly preferred to employ prefabricated elements, which on the one hand at the principal faces possess horizontal and/or vertical or, respectively, transverse and longitudinally extending channels and on the other hand possess groove- and tongue-like recesses and projections on two opposite narrow sides, by means of which the connection of the prefabricated elements is facilitated. For such prefabricated elements the present invention is more particularly suitable, since the structure in accordance with the invention renders it possible to simply meet special joining requirements as regards providing the prefabricated elements with horizontal and/or vertical or, respectively, transversely and/or longitudinally extending channels. Furthermore, prefabricated elements with groove and tongue joints offer suitable space for the application of the stiffening and connecting elements. It is more especially advantageous to use prefabricated elements, in the case of which the groove and tongue-like projections and recesses on the narrow sides to be connected are already preformed by the channels on the core element or are preformed by the arrangement of the surface elements on the core element. This is something also offering advantages in connection with the manufacture of the prefabricated elements.
For putting the invention into practice the employment of U sections as stiffening and connecting elements is particularly advantageous. In their dimensions same are preferably selected to be matched with the groove and tongue-like recesses and projections on the narrow sides to be connected of the prefabricated elements and/or the thickness of the core elements of the prefabricated elements. It is in this manner that the U sections may be exactly fitted in the groove-like recesses or may be arranged so that their limbs fit around the tongue-like projections. Moreover the limbs of the U sections may in accordance with the invention fit into the intermediate spaces between the core element and the surface element of the prefabricated element. These intermediate spaces are either already provided in the course of manufacture of the prefabricated element or are produced during manufacture the connection by insertion of the reinforcing and connecting elements. If, for example, prefabricated elements are employed, which are made from a foam board of PU, or PSD foam material, or if upright mineral wool is available as a core element and a plaster-cardboard sheet, it is possible for the interface between the core element and the face element, to be for example constituted by a bonding layer, to be readily broken by the insertion of, for instance, a metallic U section.
The universal application of the U sections is rendered possible because they are in accordance with the invention able to be adapted to a plurality of different uses, for example on the building site in a simple manner. Thus it is possible for the limbs of the U sections to be so cut that the portions of the limbs may be bent outward. The lugs so formed are then preferably bent so far outward that they are in the same planes as the base of the U sections. The lugs so formed project past the prefabricated elements, when the U section prepared in this manner is arranged on a prefabricated element. The projecting lugs may then with advantage be employed for the fastening of the stiffening and connecting element to the wall, ceiling or, respectively, floor of the room. Furthermore it is possible, in accordance with one particular form of embodiment, for such lugs to be also separated from the U section, so that a recess results at the corresponding limb of the U section. This recess then renders possible easier access to the base piece of the U section. If in the case of such stiffening and connecting element, which has inserted into the prefabricated element, at the position of the recess a similar recess is provided at the point of the recess a similar recess is provided in the surface element, access will be possible in the assembled state to the base surface of the U section, even if the prefabricated element terminates at a side, at which the section has been arranged, is flush with a room wall or, respectively, the floor or ceiling. Using such access, produced in this manner, to the base of the U section fastening of the U section to a wall, floor or ceiling of a room is possible without projecting lugs or visible fastening elements making an ugly optical impression during connection of a prefabricated element to a room wall or, respectively, floor or ceiling, if after fastening the recess is closed by simple plastering, for example. This special embodiment of the present invention renders possible not only rapid and economic but also a neat and aesthetically pleasing arrangement of the prefabricated parts in a room.
In a further embodiment the limbs of the U section are so cut that the U sections may be bent at an angle. This is advantageous for the design of door and window apertures in outer and separating walls or openings between stories or for the reinforcement of corners of the prefabricated elements.
In a similar manner it is possible to produce an oblique connection between prefabricated elements together or for an oblique connection of a prefabricated element to a room wall or, respectively, floor or ceiling the U section employed can be so cut that it is able to be bent about an axis perpendicular to the base surface. The parts arranged at an angle to one another of a U section prepared in this manner may then in a known fashion be connected with the prefabricated elements and the room walls or, respectively, floor or ceiling. Preferably, this is performed by connecting the base of the U section by fastening element such as screws and screw anchoring plugs with the room wall or, respectively, floor or ceiling and the limbs of the respective U section parts fit into the intermediate spaces between the prefabricated elements to be connected, which are produced between the core elements and the surface elements by insertion of the limbs.
Thus in a simple, rapid and reliable fashion by the employment of a U section, which in its dimensions is matched to the prefabricated elements employed, a great variety of reinforcement and connection functions may be performed. For this purpose the U section only has to be adapted in length to the different purposes and/or modified in a simple manner, even on the building site for example. In the ideal case it is however only necessary to stock one type of U sections on the building site with a single uniform length, which is then suitably processed on erection of the partition. Preferably conventional steel sections will be employed as the U sections, since same possess adequate rigidity and flexibility. As an fastening means it is possible for conventional screw, bolts and screw anchoring plugs to be used.
In order to optimize the stiffening and connecting properties it is naturally possible to utilize U sections with different dimensions. This may for example be the case when prefabricated elements with vertical and horizontal channels or, respectively, transversely and longitudinally extending channels are employed, since then there is the advantage of using U sections for the connection of the prefabricated elements, such U sections not extending for the entire thickness of the prefabricated elements so that horizontal or transverse channels are not blocked by the stiffening and connecting element. In this case it is then advisable to provide U sections with two different dimensions so that the U sections with the one dimension may be utilized as a stiffening and connecting element for the prefabricated elements amongst themselves and the other U sections with the other dimension may be employed for the application of the prefabricated elements to the wall, ceiling or, respectively, to the floor. Here as well there is however always the advantage of a small number of different components.
In one particularly preferred embodiment, when for example extremely stiff requirements apply as regards the stiffness and strength of the room delimiting means or, respectively, the connections of the prefabricated parts, it is furthermore possible for boards to be employed as further stiffening and connecting elements. This will be the case for example when U sections are used as reinforcing and connecting elements, which essentially do not encompass the full thickness of the prefabricated element, for example to leave channels exposed. In the case of this particular working embodiment of a room delimiting means it may be necessary for the additional boards to be arranged as stiffening and connecting elements on the side of the prefabricated wall elements, on which the exposed channels run. In this case the boards, in a manner similar to the limbs of the U sections, are fitted into the intermediate spaces between the core elements and the surface elements of the prefabricated elements to be connected. The boards may then in a similar manner to the U sections be connected by connecting means such as screws and bolts to the surface elements.
If the invention is employed for the erection of a story ceiling it is then an advantage, more particularly if the length of the prefabricated elements does not extend over the full width of the room, to use the U sections as ledge elements for the prefabricated elements as well. In this case the U sections are attached resting against the wall or athwart the room and the prefabricated elements are arranged in the previously described manner, that is to say for instance with the intermediate spaces between the core element and the surface element accommodating the limbs of the U section, on the U section. If in the case of such a design two U sections resting against each other are necessary, same may naturally be replaced by a H section or girder.
The invention thus provides a method which is particularly advantageous because of the saving in time and costs, which makes it possible to erect a sturdy room delimiting means using but a few components, starting with prefabricated elements.
In the following the characteristics and features of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show preferred embodiments, which are all purely diagrammatic representations.